Advent Daily Reflection 2020-11-30
1 Corinthians 1.3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Grace. Peace. Enrichment. Strength. Faithfulness. These are words that feel out of place in 2020. As an international educator, my work has been disrupted since January when we had to evacuate and relocate our study abroad programs from China, and then dismantle everything in March. Soon after I transitioned to remote work during stay-at-home orders, our daughter’s daycare closed. Two weeks later, I defended my dissertation and graduated, all on Zoom. The disparate areas of my life all came crashing down on our 1.5-bedroom apartment and I was overwhelmed and let down.
As two working parents without childcare, John and I persevered thanks to Prospect Park and some Google Calendar wizardry. In that daily grind we certainly did not feel grace and peace. Instead of faithfulness, we experienced disappointment where we had expected certainty. Yet slowing down to consider this passage, God has shown my family grace and has given us many reasons to be thankful. By His grace we have remained healthy and employed. Our family transitioned from a very hectic season directly into COVID. Where quality time was once scarce we, by God’s grace, now have time in abundance.
Likewise, once we adjusted to Zoom church, this time and “space” set apart provided an opportunity for us to be strengthened for the week ahead and to even find fellowship with Him and each other. Each of us has brought disappointments and missed milestones as the weeks stretch on. Yet because God has always transcended space, He is present even in Zoom or in small-scale outdoor meet-ups.
Our grace-filled God has always revealed spiritual gifts in His people despite imperfect circumstances. May this year be one in which we were jolted to reconsider our own traditions, expectations, and desires against what God is calling us to do.